A spokesman for district health boards said yesterday the union should "at least'' take more time to discuss the latest offer before "putting the public of New Zealand through the possible disruption of industrial action''.
"It is important to note that there is only one single issue left between the parties and that is the union's insistence that we use its roster as a one-size-fits-all. We want each service to develop rosters that continue to meet patient needs.
"We will be disappointed, but not surprised, if the NZRDA union continues to use industrial escalation to get its own way,'' the spokesman said.
NZRDA national secretary Deborah Powell said while members had not formally rejected the offer, they were not likely to accept a deal that was "not substantively different'' from the last offer.
"This is a serious matter; the impact of fatigue affects the doctors, their patients and potentially members of the public.
"If this does get to strike action, it is for the care of others as well as their own health and safety that the resident medical officers will be taking action.
"It would be good to think the employers took the health and safety of their doctors and through them their patients as much to heart,'' Dr Powell said.
She did not know what day this week the ballot would be held.
The junior doctors' union launched a public campaign centred on clinician and patient safety in respect of 12-day-straight working rosters, which angered DHBs.
